Apple’s new iPad is out and in circulation among the public, but many question whether it’s any different from its predecessor, the iPad 2.

When comparing the two models side by side, there are in fact subtle differences, the main difference between the two models is the new retina display on the new iPad and the increased battery life.

The new retina screen on the new iPad is revolutionary.

When comparing the two screens, a user can differentiate between the two. The new iPad has 4 times the amount of pixels than the iPad 2.

Retina Display:

If a user looks closely they can see the difference in the sharpness and clarity around icons and text. The retina display has more pixels than most HD tv’s.

The battery in the new iPad is the other biggest difference between the new iPad and the iPad 2, The new battery can power the device for 10 hours and with the LTE turned on, 9 hours.

The new iPad is barely larger than the iPad 2 so the increase in battery life is quite an achievement. There are speculations surrounding possible new battery technology in the new iPad battery.

Although the new battery and screen are achievements, the complaints towards the excessive heat of the device have overshadowed the positives.

The device has been known to get up to 116 degrees and has caused consumers to become very uncomfortable. According to rumors, the cause of the excessive heat happens to be coming from the new AX5 processor in the new iPad.

So considering the lack of major differences between the iPad 2 and new iPad and the overheating issue, I would say that it is not worth it to invest in the new iPad. I would much rather spend less money on the iPad 2 and not have my hands burned then enjoy a new screen. Please leave thoughts and comments below.

Here’s what you can expect out of the new iPad:

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At a lower price, the same popular iOS, and a more portable size, the “iPad Mini” could become the kind of the tablet industry. Amazon should take caution as the Mini could prove to be detrimental to the Kindle’s success. Will you buy the “iPad Mini” when it is released later this year?

There would appear to be a magic figure that Apple want all iPads to be able to deliver and that is 10 hours use of their tablets on a single charge.

So how do you ensure that this desirable 10 hour figure stays the same when the new version of the iPad will offer 4G LTE (a notorious battery drainer) and a densely packed 3 million pixel high definition screen consuming power via quad core graphics processing?

One answer would obviously be to put in a bigger battery, but when you have got a product that is selling like hotcakes and has no reason to reinvent itself, why on earth would you redesign a winning formula to accommodate a bigger battery. Even though the new iPad is heavier and slightly larger it is hardly a full redesign.

The other would be to reduce the overall power consumption by redesigning the chip architecture.

New battery technology ensures great performance:

But the answer for Apple has come from working on the battery itself and this has resulted in an iPad 3 battery that has nearly double the capacity of the iPad 2 battery meaning you get a whipping 42Wh in teh iPad 3 compared to to only 25Wh in the iPad 2 which from my tests on wi-fi and general use is hardly a poor battery anyway.

This when measured in milliamps means that the new iPad 3 will offer 11,666 mAh compared to the iPad 2’s 6944 mAh, so almost double.

But, like we have mentioned prior, the iPad 2 is considerably less power hungry on the screen side and also with the 4G LTE option that the new iPad 3 will offer, so Apple had to do something.

So what is going on in this battery to make it so powerful without the associated weight and size growth that it would seem to need?

Apple battery labs are hard at work:

Until we see the final product and get some wise ass to do a “teardown” we can not fully say, but, it appears that Apple’s battery laboratories have been hard at work testing new technology and improving the power of their Li-ion cells, and with the battery world in serious need of a catch up to keep up with new mobile technology that is so power hungry, could Apple have found more technology with which to sue every other company who tries to take a bite.

Are you happy with your iPad battery life currently and how do you think they will manage to pull this off when the new device will be so power hungry?

Back in the fall of 2011 Amazon released its newest innovation to the tech world, the Kindle Fire. In doing this, Amazon itself became a new player in the tablet market.

The Kindle Fire has a dual-core processor, free cloud storage courtesy of Amazon, and access to millions of shows, movies, and books from Amazon’s large database. The Kindle Fire has everything a good tablet should have, but for me there is something missing. While the Fire has been a success thus far, it still seems subpar to other major tablets such as the iPad and the Asus Transformer.

Amazon Kindle Fire Screen Size:

In my opinion, the major downfall does not come in the OS, it is in the screen size. The screen of the Kindle Fire is a 7” multitouch display, comparable to the size of the Blackberry Playbook, but not the more successful iPad. If a tablet wants to become a major threat in the industry, it needs to have the option of having a larger screen such as the iPad’s or Transformer’s. Many people sought for a larger sized Fire. When Amazon was questioned about a possible 10” Fire they said, “Stay tuned”.

Ever since that comment, rumors have been flying all over the tech community. Rumors have it that Amazon will be launching a 10” Kindle Fire in their second quarter, specifically this summer. What does this mean? It means that Amazon would then be in competition with Apple’s iPad and the likes of the Asus Transformer. With a larger screen and Amazon’s outstanding support for the device, the Fire would be put in the elite tablet category. The Kindle Fire already has the media, hardware, and support to compete with the big dogs, all it needs now is the screen. Amazon Kindle Fire 10”, summer 2012?

At a key event held in San Francisco, Apple will give further news on the anticipated release date of the new iPad 3 and offer a glimpse of the device teasing us all with some carefully chosen words to describe what to expect.

“Something you really have to see. And touch”

So sort of like the iPad 2 and pretty much any other device that uses touchscreen technology.

Aside from the fact that we know bugger all really about the expected release date, it is clear for many that the date is imminent and advice to ditch your iPad 2 now to ensure the largest sale price prior to an official release date is common.

So let us have a look at some likelihoods of the new iPad version:

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• Quad Core Processing
• 2048×1536 Retina display
• Identical looking

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No big Kahuna:

So as you can see it looks like not much will really have altered on the device cosmetically apart from the insides being beefed up. And when you think that neither the Samsung nor the Amazon Kindle Fire has really affected the growth in sales of the iPad, the old adage of “why mend what’s not broken” springs to mind as the new device looks set to offer a seriously hi-res retina display and a very powerful quad core processor, meaning that the iPad moves ahead (for a while) of its nearest rivals in terms of tech inside until the next update.

Yes I am looking forward to the next iteration of the successful Apple tablet and can fully understand why they may keep with simply updating the innards rather than providing us with a whole new tablet, after all it is what it does rather than what it looks like that is the most appealing aspect of Apple products even though they also look far better than their rivals anyway.

There is a reason why they are so successful, they tick the boxes of the modern tech consumer on every level.

Tired of watching movies and browsing websites on your phone’s miniscule screen? Do you wish that that you could plug it into a bigger display and navigate your phone on that same display? Well, apparently somebody is and does, because AsusTeK is marketing a product that does exactly that. Due to release in April, it’s called the Padfone, and it consists of a high-end smartphone that can plug into a tablet dock. This dock boosts the phone’s battery life and provides much more screen real estate. It looks to revolutionize the smartphone market the way their Transformer series did for tablets. But will it gain even a fraction of the acclaim that its tablet brethren did? Actually, I think Asus’s attempt at mad genius might very well pay off.

ASUS Padfone hardware:

First of all, the hardware is there. The phone itself comes packing with an incredibly powerful 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, up to 64 GB of storage, a super AMOLED display, and a front and rear camera duo, the latter of which is 8 Mega-Pixels, has autofocus, and comes with a flash. This phone was not at all scraped together from parts they had lying around on the floor; it looks like a very high-quality build. On top of that, it runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which offers the very latest features. It’s sure to resonate with consumers the same way that the Transformer Prime did.

Increased battery life:

Next, Asus has given consumers a good reason to actually use the tablet dock it comes with: increased battery life. With many complaining of poor battery life on smartphones, including our own Anthony Munns, everyone is clamoring for more juice. The Padfone’s dock provides it’s own internal battery to boost that of the phone. And if that’s not enough, consumers can purchase an additional keyboard dock to enhance the battery even further. Asus claims that the battery life will increase five-fold with the tablet dock, and nine-fold with the keyboard dock in addition to the tablet dock. That’s quite a bit of power to be wielded.

Minor bug bears:

That’s not to say that Asus has done everything absolutely right. Engadget complains of the tablet dock’s girth and weight, and I personally would have liked the tablet to be compatible with the Transformer and/or Transformer Prime docks. There’s also the objection that Motorola has done similar things with its phones, and they haven’t exactly set the world on fire. Ultimately, though, I feel that Asus’s Padfone will carve out a significant chunk of the market simply because of it’s build quality, and Asus’s sensitivity to it’s customer’s needs and wants.

So what is the ASUS Padfone release date? Who knows just yet, but we will keep you posted.

I have been a proud owner of an Asus Transformer since this past summer.

I love everything about it and all that Android has to offer.

However, I recently received the much anticipated ICS update, and I realized that something is missing. Everything was running smoothly after the update and I was in Android heaven when I suddenly realized that the face unlock feature was not there!

I immediately went to the web to discover that l could not find an Android tablet running standard ICS that did have the face unlock feature. Many people are very disappointed, as the face unlock is one of the highlight features in the ICS operating system.

I myself was disappointed and frustrated. I couldn’t wait to show off the face unlock technology to all my friends. I did a little poking around in the new OS to see what I could find and stumbled across the “missing” face unlock. it was under the programs list on the device.

ASUS ICS Face Unlock:

I did more research to find that the application was being hidden on purpose from users. Many people are speculating on the reason for the “missing” face unlock.

One claim is that Google has chosen to hide the feature on tablets because of a major security flaw that the unlock presents. A picture of a face is enough to unlock the device, without having the owner physically there.

A friend of mine could unlock my device by displaying a picture of my face to the camera. Another rumor is that the feature will become available in smaller, future updates to tablets.

There are various other claims floating around the tech community but I myself feel that the reason is a combination of the two claims I presented above.

My guess is that Google saw the security flaw in earlier ICS phone updates and decided it would be most beneficial to just leave it out of tablets altogether until the flaw is fixed. Please share any information or personal speculations below!

Samsung has now added another size to their new Galaxy Tab 2 range with a showing of their 10.1 inch version at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Yesterday.

March release date for UK:

Coming days after the release of the smaller 7 inch model it is thought that this new version will be on sale in the UK from March, the new model will offer both 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity and will be very lightweight and ultra portable which is what we come to expect form tabs in all honesty.

That said we are seeing an increase in weight due to larger batteries being placed into smartphone so all is not so obvious I guess.

This new tablet from Samsung will see Ice Cream Sandwich preloaded and as the default operating system, which is nice for those who like their new Android 4.0 operating system to be native and not a dodgy upgrade!

The processor will be a dual core 1Ghz and the display will be a 1024×800 PLS TFT with a 3 megapixel camera on the rear and VGA for front communication calls.

Other options worth noting will be the size of the on board storage, with 8, 16 and 32 GB options, with an upgradable MicroSD card up to 32 GB.

The 3G version will also offer HSPA+ 21Mbps 850/900/1900/2100, offering A-GPS, Glonass, connectivity as well as the usual.

With access to Samsung new Video Hub, this new device looks likely to be welcomed by many new entrants to tablet computing who want something decent and affordable with the new Android OS on board.

We have only just discussed Apples Chinese iPad rival ErenEben yesterday, so it is intriguing to see that Apple have stopped selling their iPad on the Chinese Amazon website, but why?

Could this be that the iPad 3 is on its way soon, or that Apple are in legal wrangles with the Chinese government over who owns the rights to the term “iPad”.

Apple in lawsuit with Chinese company Proview:

Apple are currently in legal dealings with a Chinese company going by the name of proview, this matter is related to the use of the term “iPad” which they claim Apple do not own the rights to as they bought it from a subsidiary who was not entitled to sell the name.

If a decision is made against Apple this could mean that they will not be able to sell their popular tablet in the China region, and will kick up quite a storm for the manufacturing relationships that Apple have with China.

Apple requested the pull:

It has been said in TechCruch that it was Apple who instigated the removal of the item from the store, which means that the whole situation is a bit of a mystery as proview have apparently not asked for Apple to stop the sale of the iPad in China.

With the iPad 3 release date imminent, and with proview rumoured to be seeking $1 billion to settle the dispute, there appears to be little trouble in big China right now.

We will be keeping a close ear and eye on this news.

With Apple being attacked about their human rights policies and lack of action at plants they use in China, run primarily by Taiwanese based Foxconn (yes its complicated).

And with the Cupertino based company now open to looking more closely to how they operate in this territory, it is interesting to note that a home grown tablet manufacturer is actually looking to outsell Apple’s iPad in their own backyard.

ErenEben

Have you heard of ErenEben?

Well you probably will have if you live in China as they currently hold the second largest tablet share in China, this is according to Analysys International, this figure is currently set at 6% which is a far cry from being a major threat to Apple but it is interestingly more than Lenovo or Samsung have in terms of market share in this vast country.

China not vast consumers of tablets yet:

Chinese gadget lovers bought around 5 million units last year and are expected to buy some 18 million tablet PC’s in 2012, a huge increase from 2011, and this is where ErenEben hope to tap into the latent potential in this niche.

ErenEben are hoping that unique hand writing technology will allow users to write on screen using a stylus which they are calling the “Mind Mark” feature, plus the installation of a Chinese copy book application that will appeal to an older, less tech savvy generation, and hopefully win hearts and draw in some more of the huge population of China that have not yet embraced tablet technology.

Writing in China different to the West:

Many of us do not think about how the East communicate in terms of writing but it is a totally different relationship than we have in the West, and for this reason ErenEben are proud to now be named the “hand-writing computer of the meeting” by the Chinese People Political Consultation thanks to there Mind Mark feature.

Not cheap:

With the tablet based on Google’s Android operating system, the actual cost for each device comes in at a considerably high 5,000 yuan compared to the base price of an iPad which is 3,688 yuan, but just under the current top priced iPad which costs some 5,288 yuan.

ErenEben’s Chief Operating Officer Fang Liyong told the South China Morning Post.

“Most government officials and business leaders are of the older generation and are used to writing in their own style. And they are the ones with strong purchasing power,”

He went on to say that these people were the ones with buying power so they believe they are pitching to the right audience with the right feature set.

Relying on one technology is dangerous:

The trouble with this new technology is that Apple will most likely just develop a fantastic Chinese application that offers exactly the same option of writing on the tablet in the Chinese style with a stylus, either that or many apps will emerge with a clear leader offering the same functionality.

Your thoughts?

It has often been the case that Europe has received their mobile tech updates and releases quicker than the US region, only for the US to get a slightly beefier version later on in a products life cycle that perhaps irons out some kinks on the way, well if our sources are to be believed it could be that the Kindle Fire gets a bit of a tart up and a 7 and 9 inch option when it finally hits UK shores later this year.

Though please understand that you can still bag yourself a Kindle Fire from many online UK retailers who have imports for sale.

Can costs be kept down at 9 inches?

With sales of the Amazon Kindle For globally expected to be somewhere in the region of 15 million units in 2012, up from an expected 12-13 million units, it is easy to see that Amazon are onto something but is it price dependent or have they found a device that hits the sweet spot in more ways than cost?

An analyst said:

‘We believe there is an upward bias, particularly from the new seven and nine-inch models, which we expect to launch in mid-2012.’

Exact dates are hard to come by but if I were to put my money on a date I would say that Amazon would have to think about getting in the mix with the iPad 3 release date which is expected to be somewhere around Mid-Late March.

So at what price point can Amazon keep the kindle fire attractive considering it is no iPad?….Unless they seriously give it some clout and make it more of a two horse tablet as some people expect Apple to consider doing.

Having recently been picked up for using the term PC to not mean tablets in reference to tablets replacing the humble desktop, news in from Toms Hardware indicates that a research firm going by the name of Canalys, has used the shipment of tablet PC’s (pads) in the same data collated as your old school desktop PC and variants such as laptops, using this controversial technique of data collection leads to Apple being the worlds largest PC company according to their statistics.

Now obviously this terminology is a grey area, with tablet PC’s already being a term in many peoples vocabulary, but perhaps not quite getting into the parlance of the statisticians, it is however fair to say that this figure marries up to Apple’s current valuation which rivals Exxon with one beating the other in terms of capital value every quarter currently.

The statistics:

Q4 of 2011 saw 120 million “client” PC’s shipped, these include:

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• Desktops
• Tablets
• Netboks
• Notebooks

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This represents a 16% annual growth, but if you take tablets out of this equation you can see that the “traditional” PC shipments actually contracted by 0.4% showing just how disruptive the likes of Apples iPad and the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble Nook have become for companies such as HP.

On this note, both Acer, Dell and HP lost market share while Apple saw significant gains, with 5 millions Mac’s and 15 million iPads shipped in Q4 contributing to a 6% year on year extra market share, now up to 17% for Apple.

Canalys analyst Tim Coulling has stated that HP will see difficult times ahead as they focus on a business model that may not work for the company:

“Currently, HP is pursuing a Windows strategy for its pad portfolio, producing enterprise-focused products, such as the recently launched Slate 2, until the launch of Windows 8, however, questions remain over Microsoft’s entry into the consumer pad space. While early demonstrations of the Window 8 operating system seem promising, Microsoft must focus its efforts on creating an intuitive user experience that is far less resource intensive.”

Lenovo are seemingly also doing well with gains of 2 market points largely based on their decision to join the consumer and enterprise tablet market using Android as their O/S.

With tablets equating to a 22% share of the overall PC shipments in Q4 of 2011 it can be seen that if you are not doing well in this niche you may well see your core sales drop and see difficulty with bottom lines in the short/medium term.

Canalys’ Tim Coulling noted:

“The consumerization of IT continues to be a significant disruptive force in the PC industry, but many of the leading vendors have failed to capitalize on the trend to date, this year will be a pivotal year for those vendors that were slow to launch pads. It is not just the product that they need to get right, business models are equally important – driving revenues from content delivery can help vendors reach lower price points in a market that is incredibly price sensitive.”

Now maybe a good time to show an old video produced showing this trend in video form…enjoy:

With ASUS first showing the world their new Padfone in 2011 at the Computex IT conference in May of last year, the overall design and look was met with some pretty curious glares, such is its odd take on a smartphone and tablet.

Smartphone / Tablets way forward?

With the Samsung Galaxy Note being rather fondly taken into the bosom of many new owners, it seems that size could after all be everything, and with the talk of the new iPhone 5 being potentially somewhat larger in the screen department, this size thing seems to be catching.

Larger screen can mean a larger battery win-win?

In all honesty there appears to be another benefit for going super size when it comes to smartphones and mobile devices, and that is the ability to place in a much larger battery and stop those annoying smartphone battery life moaners from telling all and sundry how blighted they are with their inept devices that they expect to last for 15 days through hell and high water on one charge.

So how does this actual device work?

The new Padfone from ASUS will bring together a marriage of two devices, which both run on the Android operating system, and which when combined will share common features such as internet connection, battery and storage.

The device will only need one SIM with the phone acting like a normal smartphone, but with the addition of a 10.1 inch mobile tablet monitor which makes it into a tablet in essence.

In a similar vain to the ASUS transformer prime, a docking system will allow you to connect the two together at the back of the case, giving you a much larger screen option when needed, with the screen making use of the phones 3G connection when it needs to and also offering itself as a battery charger, a pretty neat set of functions, and one which does sate many general needs and wants of modern mobile users.

Easily shift between phone and tablet:

With data synchronisation happening seamlessly, it appears that the devices sync automatically with screen layouts getting adopted across both devices.

Ice Cream Sandwich Android operating system:

It appears that the device will launch with Android’s newest Ice Cream Sandwich operating system already installed, and will utilise an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, it will be intriguing to see how this new smartphone-come-tablet is received by the attendees at MWC and what the biggest people to win over will have to say about the padfone, the general public!

Looks pretty sweet though I must say.

The Android ICS 4.0 upgrade has not been without problems for many devices, so it is perhaps good news that the earlier release of the ASUS Eee pad will now bring ICS but slightly later than the troubled Transformer Prime ICS update which is now seeing refunds being offered to certain users who have had issues with the upgrade and want tehir money back here in the UK.

We now hear that owners of the ASUS Eee pad will get their ICS update sometime in February with a report that the middle of the month is likely.

With ASUS promising an update this month, there are no hard statements from the company as to the specific dates of the update but according to a report on Electronista, it looks likely that mid February will see the update being released to owners.

In a reply on their facebook account to the question:

When will ICS be available for The original Transformer? Cant wait any longer!

ASUS North America replied:

Sorry for the confusion, HQ told me this morning it is looking more like mid-February for ICS on the TF101. The Slider update will come after the Transformer.

Ice Cream Sandwich update:

Once finalised and finally delivered it is expected that the new operating system will bring speed efficiency to the overall user experience and the UI as well as a new interface to use the device on.

We do hope that the ASUS Transformer Prime Ice Cream Sandwich Problems are not replicated on this earlier ASUS tablet device and that the extra time offered this upgrade will iron out issues before a full release is expected in February.

The update is expected pretty soon for Wi-Fi only devices but is not expected to be a quite as dramatic an improvement as the update delivers for Android smartphone owners, but assuming all is smooth and there are no huge issues with the update it looks like a worthy move to get your tablet up to speed with the new Android operating system.

Let us know how things go when it finally gets unleashed!

Ok, we are perhaps a few weeks early on this news but it has come to our attention that Skype will indeed be available on Windows Phone devices in the not too distant future.

And why not?

Microsoft after all own the damn VOIP company anyway, so it does seem slightly odd that they have even taken this long to bring their own technology to their devices.

I wonder if this is Microsoft steadying the networks who must be shi***ng themselves that once the penny drops that all we need is a data connection to connect to VOIP services, we can do away with our phone packages once and for all!

4G could be the death knoll for traditional mobile networks:

I have said this before, it is possibly only a matter of time before we simply have a VOIP type client such as Skype running in the background all the time on our mobile devices with no need to ever use our minutes and have the ability to call anywhere in the world for free or pretty damn cheap.

Is this the reason that the 4G network may well go for much less money than the 3G spectrum sold for, because we will not be prepared to pay the amount of cash we do for minutes if all we really want is data, leaving the obvious question of how to subsidize our shiny new devices up for grabs after per month costs are slashed.

I also suspect Skype as a service will become advertiser funded, where it will be free in principle but you will have to go through a short message for calls or video for using video conferencing, obviously this would go away if you paid a subscription or similar to Skype’s coffers.

Skype will kill networks dead in time:

I think that networks in the UK will look to consolidate and possibly muscle out the languishing Three network and if my predictions do hold true, there will likely be some call from the remaining few to push out far reaching WiFi on “health and safety grounds” as one wise commentator on the guardian blog pointed out:

ImperfectRex:

*After the other networks get rid of 3, expect them to start trying to get rid of wide-broadcast wifi. Either through legislation on health & safety or simply buying/bribing cheap or free wifi providers.

There are talks that Skype will not be fully featured until Apollo late this year but a version may well appear at the MWC in Barcelona next month.

We already reported that its was likely that Motorola would officially announce that they will be releasing the Android 4.0 Xoom Ice Cream Sandwich update for the WiFi model soon enough, and we now have confirmation from the company that the update is scheduled to arrive OTA (over the air) in the coming weeks.

Starting today, the ICS upgrade will begin rolling out in phases over the course of a few weeks, so look for a notification on your device when it’s ready for download – and enjoy!

Users will start to see notifications when they are connected to the internet via WiFi, and once you decide to go for the update you should in theory be able to enjoy a better browsing experience, have access to a data manager, a new app-launcher and improved typeface to give your device that makeover it perhaps needed or you felt inclined to oblige see as it is now available!

Not the most popular of tablets:

While many thought it was a decent competitor to the first Apple iPad, honeycomb O/S proved a bit buggy and the price at launch was so steep it put many off, this trend continued and since launch the device only sold around 250,000 in its first quarter release, dropping to 100,000 in the last quarter recorded.

Motorola do however have more tablets up their sleeves with the arrival of the Xoom 2 tablets which incorporate the 10.1 and 8.2 inch Xyboard on Verizon, these new devices are more powerful, lighter and thinner than the previous Xoom and come with ICS as standard.

We just hope that the update does not come plagued with problems as it has for so many other tablets and smartphones doing the Ice Cream Sandwich dance since now.

We have covered the issue of the Quad Core ASUS transformer prime Ice Cream Sandwich update problems and issues using 3G, and WiFi freezes on the device before this article (as well as pretty much every other Android device that has gone for the ICS update), so what has changed in the UK to warrant an update for owners of the relatively new ASUS device?

ASUS UK offer refunds:

Well, it appears that ASUS in the UK have dug deep and now come up with a pretty fair package, if your unhappy with your Transformer Prime, simply take it back for a full refund.

You can not say fairer than this but it has been at the cost of lots of friction and perhaps a tarnished reputation for ASUS in the UK as the Ice Cream Sandwich update has just been a total disaster for so many, there have been apologies from ASUS, attempts to fix the problems, and now a promise of a full refund if you are indeed pi***ed off with the ICS update plague.

As an Apple owner there is a rule to never ever get an iTunes update or Mac O/S update straight away, it is not that Android is inherently buggy, it is just that the fragmentation of the Android marketplace leaves much more room for errors on differing devices, and the first releases of new O/S’s may well (as can be seen) have many issues that need resolving over a short period, despite testing prior to release.

ASUS offer extended warranty:

ASUS are going one step further though and if you wish to keep your device they will now extend their warranty to 18 months in order to alleviate any worries that may surface now or after with this crappy update!

It seems like Ice Cream Sandwich has plagued many device owners on an upgrade, and the ASUS transformer prime is no exception, but we have good news.

Yes, it appears that they are close to getting a working solution to the problems that have persisted so far, as the device was given the update OTA (over the air) the problems that occurred seemed to be where serial numbers were not being recognized, and as a result the update was not completing.

Fix to the problem of ICS:

Electronista are saying that you should simply do a factory reset to sort the problem out and wait for the ASUS update that should resolve these problems.

Various ROMs are available on the XDA forums as you would expect after the initial OTA release.

It does appear that ASUS have been using the XD forums to help debug this issue and from what I can gather it looks likely that a solution will be winging its way to device owners pretty damn soon.

So while you can go on at Motorola for being a bit crap with this ICS release, some would say that the late Motorola Xoom Ice Cream Sandwich Update which was expected sooner, could at least work properly when it arrives….so who was wiser, Motorola for waiting a while till a full release, or ASUS for getting it out quickly but facing a bad rep for it not being fully tested?

I will pass that over to you guys!

Do you own a WiFi Motorola Xoom?

If so you will be pleased to know that you will be getting your Ice Cream Sandwich update OTA (over the air) soon.

According to the Mobile Indian, it appears that Motorola have been testing the ICS update on the Xoom tablet and will now offer the newer Google signed Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.3 version to US consumers over the next weekend.

Developers on the XDA forums have been testing the original Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Xoom WiFi version and Google have apparently now signed off what they believe to a be an update worthy of release for this particular model. The assumption here is that Motorola are now going to be happy to release this update OTA now it has been tested fully.

Motorola send out confirmation email:

With Motorola sending out confirmation emails to testers stating that an OTA update will arrive soon, they also stated that because the Xoom tablet was a “Google Experience Device” meaning that it was without areas such as a user interface like Touchwiz designed by Samsung, and Motorola needed Google to help test the device this would cause some additional delays.

The new email comes after Motorola sent this email earlier last week:

“Thanks for your patience as we’ve waited for this project to begin. Because we are dealing with a Google Experience Device (GED) we have less insight to timing than we would usually have.However, I’m happy to announce that we will start the update this evening. Because it was delayed a few days, we will also have additional time to test; we will let it run through the weekend.”

The current release schedule is quite categorically only for the WiFi only device owners, and not for 3G/LTE Xoom owners who will have to wait while their device gets rigorous testing from Google and Motorola and their community of testers.

Flash update possible but tricky:

There are ways of updating to Android 4.0.3 from XDA devs and a basic way of doing this here, but the method will require certain cables and a 1-2 GB flash drive.

With Google halting the Samsung Galaxy Nexus S Ice Cream Sandwich Update due to technical problems, this method may be the road they choose to go down for future release updates, where they test the update on a community of people in the know and slowly get it approved for various devices before it gets a full release and potentially causes a whole host of problems like what happened with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus S ICS update.

Let us know if this all holds true please!

With a very late review of the iPad 2 coming soon, it is nice to look at news of the new iPad 3 and speculate on what areas it will improve on its older brother.

The iPad 3 is due for release in March, and Bloomberg seem to think that the new device will have a sharper screen courtesy of a High Def display and also feature LTE access which we expected anyway.

A speed increase will be delivered via a quad core chip, and while suppliers are not named in the article, it has been rumored that the ramp up in production will mean February is a key time period in the pre-iPad 3 calendar as full steam will be well and truly ahead on the production lines.

With Apple now selling more than 40 million iPads globally, the tablet has brought revenues of some $25.3 billion into Apples coffers.

LTE key to future of mobile devices:

With space running out on conventional network bandwidth, and a boom in smartphone and tablet use putting ever increasing pressures on data transfer via the traditional internet networks, LTE will bring two important new areas to mobile devices:

Speed and increased efficiency of data transfer.

Both will work together in helping the globe go more mobile, and stop further clogging up of the networks as more of the populations of the US, Europe, Asia and the world go mobile crazy and demand more bandwidth while out and about.

With China having their Lunar New Year holiday in February, and Foxconn being the main assemblers of the iPad 3, it is thought that the device will start being delivered to customers in March at the earliest.

With news on an Apple event to be held next week related to education, we are not expecting to hear the above information from the horses mouth any time soon.

So does this kind of news excite you about the new iPad or are they simply beefing up an already capable tablet PC, and if so, what do you think they should be looking at including in order to cement their status as the manufacturer of the best Tablet PC on the market?…Arguably.

The old saying “why fix it if it ain’t broken” applies to the iPad almost perfectly.

Here we have an icon of design that is so well executed it has not only spawned masses of imitators, with only the ASUS Transformer Prime coming anywhere near close to outshining the original tablet PC, but it also refuses to alter after years at the top.

So with this in mind, what do you really want of the new iPad 3?

Many will say;

“I want Apple to reinvent the wheel,”

And expect them to always bring them the new, slimmer, sexier iPad that we expect every few years.

Sorry to disappoint the design junkies:

I am afraid it looks like the next iPad will stay the same in design.

Now let us look at another saying that may make you happier.

“It is what is on the inside that counts.”

Yes your parent(s) or guardians should have told you this when you were younger, otherwise you probably turned into a narcissistic, drug addled little shit that has needed “help” ever since.

I am not one for religion in particular, but there are some decent elements at the base of most, and we shall be focusing on one of these humanistic levels for the next iPad.

Sure, the new version is likely to feature some nice features, but they will mainly be inside the device and we hope will more than make up for a lack of a new coat.

So what will be inside the new iPad 3?

You know Apple do not tell a thing prior to releases so let us do some fortune telling here.

Now according to iLounge’s Jeremy Horwitz, he has touched and smelt the iPad 3 at CES 2012 over in Las Vegas. But we all know that Apple are not showing at the event.

So are people using the new iPad 3 unwittingly, if so, this sounds like it could be a bit of a lacklustre update visually, so what is going on underneath?

Well if rumours are to be believed the new iPad will be 1mm thicker with an improved camera to the top left corner, rumours of a smaller display were neither agreed nor shown as proof, but there has been talk.

iPad 3 due March 2012 – iPad 4 due Q4 2012?

With all this in mind, we would like to point you to our other article on the iPad 3 release date, that predicted pretty much the equivalent of an iPhone 4S update to the iPhone 4 for the next model of iPad, with a much bigger release of the iPad 4 to be expected later this year or early in 2013.

I also think that a price cut may be on the cards, and the new iPad 3 may sell for $100 less than it costs now, simply in order to stay competitive in this marketplace that Apple so desperately want to dominate.

We have already heard about the iPad that got dropped from the plane and survived:

Well now those guys at G-Form had to go one level further and have taken an iPad to space to see if your average punter on his usual days travels will have his device saved from doom should he forget to hold on to it while orbiting earth for the crack.

So here is proof positive that G-Form do indeed make some seriously hardcore protection cases for your iPad and other devices, nothing like an extreme way of making a point to get the message across.

Some have commented on how they got this iPad to land on its side, pointing out that if it landed screen side down it would have almost definitely shattered, but hey let us be honest, the thing got dropped from space and still worked….surely that is enough.

Nice one lads!

With the release of the ASUS transformer prime tablet only just occurring for US consumers, it appears that ASUS are already looking at delivering an upgrade, so what will they be changing on their Ice Cream Sandwich tablet?

Problems associated with original ASUS Transformer Prime Tablet:

With occasional issues reported for US buyers of the tablet in relation to WiFi and GPS, some are wondering if now would be a good time to wait for the actual full on improvement to the tablet.

CES unveils upgrade plans:

So what would you be getting if you decided to wait for the upgrades to actual manifest themselves and appear on the shelves?

[arrowlist]

• Fixes to the problems mentioned above
• Higher resolution to 1920 x 1200
• Front facing camera upgraded to 2 megapixel

[/arrowlist]

On top of this, owners of existing ASUS transformer primes will be able to update their device to Ice Cream Sandwich via OTA, which was due to go live on the 12th of January, but has been brought forward a couple of days and is now offered as an OTA update right now..

So with all this news of updates are you happy that ASUS do not seem to be hanging about with key upgrades to the Transformer Prime Tablet?

Or, do you get a bit annoyed when devices you buy are almost immediately made into yesterdays news?…compensation…?

Such is the way of technology I am afraid.

I think it is great that ASUS are on the ball and sharp with this update and the improvement to their devices, if there is a problem, fix it. If there is not a a problem do not mess, simple!

This news will be a nice break from ASUS v HASBRO news that has been washing the internet with more litigation talk about the use of certain terms in their products.

Are you in the market for an ASUS Transformer Prime tablet? If so, tell us why?

Apple may decide to reintroduce the ageing iPad 2 as a reduced $299 offering after the rumoured iPad 3 launch later this month.

With Apple looking to offer two or more iPad models, the release of the iPad 3 is expected to be in the next few weeks at the iWorld expo on January the 26th-28th, we hear that this new model may mean that the current iPad 2 will come in at a lower price as a result, and that the iPad 3 may come in two variations also.

The new iPad 3 is rumored to be coming with a 9.7 inch QXGA screen and a display resolution of some 2048 x 1536 with an A6 SoC.

But there is talk that this new iPad may have a slightly weaker cousin with a less able camera and poorer quality screen, with subtle differences such as the lower priced model having only a 5 MP camera, and using a 1024 x 768 resolution while the more expensive iPad will have an 8MP offering, exactly what else will be added to the new model remains to be seen.

Apple supply chains confirm that the current iPad 2 will probably be slashed in price:

With the talk of a reduced price iPad, this should allow Apple to compete with the Amazon Kindle Fire, which it is thought ate into around 2 million lost iPad sales over the festive period. Yes Apple are scared of the e-commerce monster, and so they should be.

There is also a rumour emerging that they may bring in another cut price version of the iPad 3 or iPad 2 with only 8GB of memory to really compete on price with the likes of the Amazon Kindle Fire, Barnes and Noble Nook and expected Google Tablet.

iPad 3 to be $100 cheaper iPad 4 to arrive with killer applications later:

It is also thought that the new iPad 3 could be due a price reduction form the flagship high process that their current models command, and there is also an even more juicy rumour that an iPad 4 could be due for release at the end of the year with a serious upgrade to the operating system and “killer” applications.

Are you looking forward to the new iPad 3, or more interested in the serious upgrade that the iPad 4 may prove to be later on in the year?

Are you looking forward to getting the new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update on your ASUS tablet?

While Hasbro Sue ASUS over the Transformer Prime names, it is intriguing to see that the tablet is living up to its name by transforming into a shiny new ICS Android tablet PC.

The expected roll out will start on the 12th of January and we hope is more trouble free than earlier roll outs of ICS by Samsung.

The update is of course later than expected and this we hope will mean that they have had time to iron out issues that may have presented themselves earlier had they not allowed the extra few months to look back and test things.

ICS for ASUS transformer prime will be OTA:

The update is aimed at improving many areas, with ASUS stating:

“…will improve the focus of the camera, the fluidity of the touch experience, and the APK capabilities in Android Market.”

If you enjoy getting into the modding side of your Android device, you will be pleased to know that there will be a tool announced that will unlock bootloader and aid you in your quest to make your Android device that little bit more personal.

And why have ASUS decided to unlock this feature?

“The reason we chose to lock it is due to content providers’ requirement for DRM client devices to be as secure as possible. Asus supports Google DRM in order to provide users with a high quality video rental experience. Also, based on our experience, users who choose to root their devices risk breaking the system completely. However, we know there is demand in the modding community to have an unlocked bootloader.”

Problems with bootloader:

One thing to note from those guys from the XDA forums is that the method used to encrypt the bootloader is 128 bit encryption which is apparently very tough to crack, and has seen complaints rise on the thread.

A forum member by the name of Wordlywisewiz states rather animatedly:

“This makes it impossible to flash Roms and Kernals which can really unlock the devices full potential ie Overclocking, Flashing Linux Distros, Customizing, Undervolting, Potential of Windows 8 ect. The sky is the limit but it depends on YOU!”

So are you looking forward to getting this update, and will you be (trying) to make the most of the “unlocked bootloader” feature, or simply happy to have Android 4.0 rolling on your new ASUS tablet?

We have been hearing rumours that google were going to enter the tablet market in 2012, and some believe that they are quite close to actually achieving this, but what many were unsure about was what level of tablet they were going to produce.

A number of categories are emerging in the very crowded tablet PC arena, with google likely to go for the mid to upper tier.

So that would effectively mean an iPad rival right down to a Kindle fire rival, with the mid priced options skirting either side of this extreme.

Google 7 inch tablet:

It is reported in digitimes that people “in the know” are stating that the new tablet will be more of an Amazon kindle fire device, maybe of the seven inch variety.

On top of this, it will be built on Android 4.0, AKA, Ice Cream Sandwich, and will actually be delivered at an even lower cost to the consumer than the Amazon Kindle Fire.

Christ on a bike this surely can only be good for the average joe.

Technology convergence:

So with Google TV looking to rival Apple TV and Amazon not yet entering the TV market with an actual device, 2012 could be the year of the internet TV, as technology starts to morph into one, with Google and Amazon both needing a decent Siri rival to start looking like top dogs in this fast paced industry.

Amazon have already signed deals with Disney-ABC and FOX, and will be looking to rival Netflix with their own video on demand eco-system, so could it be that we see google bring in their own version of the Amazon Kindle Fire and Amazon bring in their own version of Google TV with both using their respective tablets as some form of TV controller perhaps with or without a Siri equivalent for voice control.

Exciting times ahead on this frontier that is for sure.

3D TV almost looks like black and white now!

We have heard rumours that the UK arrival of the Amazon Kindle Fire will be some time soon, with varying release dates ranging from the end of January right up to March being tipped as the correct release schedule.

We have already done a review of the Amazon Kindle Fire, and found that the device certainly had its plus points.

One of which was the obvious price level that it was being sold at, coupled with access to a huge Amazon owned eco-system and their own version of Android running the tablet.

It seems like a great alternative to more costly versions of tablets running the Android O/S, and obviously Apples own premium priced iPad 2.

Amazon sell millions of Kindle Fires over Xmas:

With Amazon selling upwards of five million units so far, it will be interesting to see if the same success is replicated in the UK.

This will likely come down in many ways to what price level they decide to sell the tablet at.

On the amazing sales so far of the Kindle Fire, Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO and co-founder states:

“We are grateful to our customers worldwide for making this the best holiday ever for Kindle,”

Amazon Kindle Fire or iPad 3?

Of course this is an unfair comparison in many ways, but just ask yourself the question:

If you were given the choice of waiting for the arrival of the next iPad 3 release, or probably waiting a shorter period of time and saving yourself a couple of hundred pounds in the process on top, which would you choose?

That is assuming that there is only one version of the new iPad being launched. As we hear there is a strong chance that two variations of the next iPad will be offered, with one cut-price version attempting to compete with the likes of the Amazon Kindle Fire which will undoubtedly be eating away at Apples bottom line now that it is fully unleashed.

Let us know your thoughts below.

Research in motion released the Blackberry Playbook tablet to UK audiences in June last year, and we have already reported on how the Playbook price cut in the US aimed to get rid of their old stock.

UK buyers see RIM Playbook price reduction also:

Now UK consumers can benefit from RIM’s decision to “get rid”, as they have seemingly reduced the unit price for retailers in the UK, as most we have looked into are selling the models at varying prices from:

[arrowlist]

• £169,99 for the 16GB playbook
• £199,99 for the 32GB playbook
• £329,99 for the 64GB playbook

[/arrowlist]

UK buyers will have sliding price scale it seems:

As RIM do not sell their playbook tablets via their online store in the UK, and only go through high street and online retailers. It is interesting to see that the blanket price that US buyers received for their playbook tablets has not been passed onto UK consumers.

I am personally unsure if this is UK retailers and networks cashing in on what you would normally expect the price range to be, or just a reflection of the relationship that UK businesses have with the Canadian firm.

In the US, the playbooks are ALL selling for $299, for the 16GB tablet, right up to the 64GB model.

So what do you think of this deal, would you still like to get onto the Blackberry bandwagon when you have a choice of iOS or Android as an alternative to the RIM operating system.

There is no doubt that the price looks attractive, but with Amazon due to release their Kindle Fire in the UK some time soon, is it really all that attractive when there are so many options out there with perhaps better eco-systems.

It is thought that ASUS will be revealing a new mini version of the Asus transformer prime tablet that currently sees them under scrutiny from Hasbro over the use of the words “transformer” and “prime”.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this month in Las Vegas will see the arrival of many new models and it is expected that it will be the showcase of the new ASUS transformer mini.

The new version is thought to be a 7 inch model of the 10 inch version, which will come with a smaller keyboard dock, the signature of the Asus Transformer Prime.

Asus want to be big in 2012 and distinctive:

There is expected to be a few other arrivals at the CES show and these include:

[arrowlist]

• Asus Padfone, a 4.3-inch Ice Cream Sandwich based smartphone which has the ability to turn into a tablet via a 10.1-inch touchscreen dock.
• 7-inch version of the Eee Memo Pad, with a rumoured 1.2 Ghz Snapdragon processor, 1280×800 resolution display, with Wi-Fi and 3G options.

[/arrowlist]

Will they keep the transformer name?

With Hasbro genuinely unhappy about the choice of names of the Asus transformer tablet, it may be unwise to carry on this potential legal disaster to another model even though in my eyes it seems pretty far fetched that they would have a leg to stand on, I am no lawyer and would not be the best person to pontificate on any outcome here, so if I was Asus, airing on the side of caution would be my instinct, especially as the transformers brand is growing from strength to strength currently.

Hasbro filed the action to sue in a LA court stating that the use of the term could lead to consumer confusion, and has requested that compensation be paid for damages related to the use of the term in current and future products.

Can the word “transformer” really be trademarked/patented/copyrighted?

Are you a lawyer in this field in the US?

If so, please do shed some light on the issue if you are, as it seems far fetched to me.

Barbara Finigan, Hasbro’s chief legal officer, said in a statement.

“Hasbro continues to aggressively protect its brands and products and the specific actions we are taking today against Asus underscores yet again Hasbro’s willingness to pursue companies who misappropriate our intellectual property for their own financial gain….the Transformers property is an incredibly popular global brand which enjoys tremendous fan support and interest around the world. The action we have announced today is in the best interests of our company and our shareholders.”

So like Apple, they are not taking things lightly and I am actually really excited to see what the outcome will be on this one.

Though if I was Asus I would counter sue Hasbro for making my new line of tablets sound like they are a kids toy….we had all pretty much forgotten the name until recently!…How rude Hasbro how rude.

We covered the arrival of the $45 Aakash tablet computer a while ago and were pleasantly surprised at the ingenuity and desire of UK based Datawind to bring computing to the masses in rural India as well as in more populated areas.

Two weeks in and talk of new factories being needed:

Amazingly at only two weeks into selling the tablet online, Datawind have said that demand for the tablet is in the region of 100,000 per day, and they have a pre-order totalling some 400,000, to keep up with demand they are looking to create three new factories, and will also be looking to release a new model in mid January. This will be a slightly more powerful 700Mhz processor and will have a SIM card slot and the ability to access GPRS and 2G connections.

Aakash Ubislate 7:

The new tablet will be named the Aakash Ubislate 7 and cost around 3000 Rupee compared to the Aakash’s price tag of 2500 Rupee, and the new device is quite simply a natural progression in terms of specification on offer from the company who are there to help the Indian population move forward in the mobile technology sector that is so prevalent in many other countries.

And with India being only second to China in terms of population, each person may not have the largest amount of disposable income but the market is so huge that this reduced level of value per person still offers rich gains for those who can go in at a lower price and offer the same kind of services that more developed countries come to expect.

Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO of Datawind, says:

“We never expected such a high response from both corporate and individual buyers. We plan to supply 70,000-75,000 units per day once the factories are in place by April,”

Emergency on day one of selling online:

Indeed the demand for India’s cut price tablet is that huge that on the first day of selling the tablet online they were informed by India’s computer emergency response team that the site was probably under a cyber attack, such was the high traffic shitting the site due to the demand for the new tablet.

With the iPad costing around 30,000 rupees it is easy to see why many people in India can not afford this high end model, and Datawind have obviously found a decent price level that will satisfy a large proportion of the people in the rural and city areas.

Who owns this tablet and can you please tell us your thoughts if you do, we would love to hear about it from the source so to speak.

In a move seen by many to signal a multitude of serious problems at the Canadian research in motion corporation, RIM have slashed the price of their Playbooks to a measly $299 in a bid to get rid of the stock.

And in what appears to be a pretty strange move, they are all set at that price, making me wonder if RIM have lost the plot completely, as I would not be going for the 16GB device when it is the same price as the 64GB, or maybe this is a retailers trick to get the press attention and get people parting with their cash in order to secure the bigger alternative at the price, either way the 64GB models are going to be gone pretty quick I imagine.

So with the new release of the Playbook 2.0 coming next month we wonder if they will have time to shed this unsightly skin that has been put over the first Playbook, an unlucky one, as essentially the device is pretty good by all accounts, it just suffers from being related to the blackberry family and all the issues that this currently has as an operating system.

Discounted Playbooks not on offer in the UK:

Noticeably this offer is not available for buyers of the Playbook in the UK.

With demand for Playbooks slowing month on month, it will be interesting to see if the wholesale clearance of their old stock will help clear the path for greater demand for the new model considering the associated bad press that a good old car boot sale of your wares brings in tech-land.

Would you be interested in a Playbook for $299 or would you rather wait for the arrival of the iPad 3 or indeed the new Playbook 2.0 next month?

As always please pen down your comments below, we always love to hear your views.

We have already discussed the iPad 3 release date in an earlier article. Now rumours seem to suggest it will arrive at a similar time as we predicted, or at least we will see a glimpse of it around the time we originally anticipated.

Digitimes, the perennial gossip mongers of the tech world have got their knitting needles out again, and they are talking of a return by Apple to a show now known as iWorld which was formerly MacWorld Expo.

At the show, which will be held next year on January 26th, Apple are rumored by supply chain partners to be demonstrating their new cut price iPad, and the new iPad 3, where these new models will join the rest of the iBrigade.

iPad 3 and iPoor 1?

The new models will see the cheaper version pitched against plucky contenders such as the Amazon Kindle Fire, and the other iPad 3 obviously holding the Apple flag high, as the kind of the tablet jungle.

Specification updates:

Processors are still rumoured to be supplied by Samsung, with Sharp delivering the new improved display that will still feature the same 9.7 inch screen.

There could be dual LED bars that will help brighten the iPads overall brightness levels. This rumour appears to have legs as Minebea are now part of this supply chain and they specialise in Backlight units (BLU’s)

Battery’s to be monsters:

Dynapack International Technology and Simplo Technology have secured orders for batteries of the iPad, with the rumour that one at least will have a very high capacity of 14,000 milliampere-hour (mAh) which will be used in the new iPad’s. Though we are not sure if one of these manufacturers will make a less powerful battery for the cut price model.

What do you think of the news? A tall story? Or, like us, can you imagine that this could have some weight?

Let us know your thoughts on the new iPad 3. And if you have heard anything remotely sounding like the truth, get in touch and let us know!

HASBRO will sue ASUS over what they believe is a copycat name from their famous 1980’s television series.

We all remember the transformers cartoons from the 1980’s and the new variations on a theme, though you may not be aware that the toy firm HASBRO owns the transformers brand and line, and they have not been too happy that ASUS have decided to release a “transformer” tablet model and even worse in their eyes, added the term “Prime” onto the end.

So with the slightly random ASUS Transformer Prime release schedule rolling out in the US, we examine what areas HASBRO have issues with.

Yes, Optimus prime was the leader of the transformers, who battled the decepticons in every episode, using their ingenious and thoroughly outrageous method of “transforming”.

HASBRO are quoted saying:

“The specific actions we are taking today against Asus underscores yet again Hasbro’s willingness to pursue companies who misappropriate our intellectual property for their own financial gain.”

How they actually hope to prove that the word “transformer” and “prime” will have any benefit to ASUS driven from the television series or any detriment to HASBRO or the brand “Transformers” is beyond me, unless they own the copyright to very commonly used words, which they do not, then I see no way of this holding up and is seemingly an exercise in futility.

Can HASBRO really sue though?

Well they can always have go, the only real leg they have to stand on, is if they could prove that buyers of the new tablet could for one minute be under the belief that they were buying a licensed product in the ASUS Transformer Prime tablet, but it would seem a little far fetched that they would ever get anywhere as they both operate in such different markets. With ASUS hardly copying anything other than two words that are in common use anyway, but….the ASUS Transformer Prime can go from Tablet PC into Laptop in a few small moves, exactly like Optimus prime did, well…dont be stupid, its a sodding computer not a kids toy (arguably I suppose).

HASBRO you risk looking more ridiculous than if you just kept your nose out of this issue, as I see no benefit from starting another legal war related to mobile technology….spare us more of these stories for 2012 please.

Well you will not be the only one, as shipments of the new tablet have been delayed meaning that retailers such as BestBuy are holding back on offering the model for delivery, so you may now see words such as “coming soon”, which appears to have altered since they offered the device for sale prior to the delivery issues.

Demand still very high:

With the ASUS Transformer Prime being so in demand, many who have pre ordered or purchased in the hope of a quick delivery will be somewhat disappointed, but as we have found, most people understand that on release of new models, these things happen!

However it does appear that those who ordered at pre-order stage may have had some luck in receiving their ASUS Transformer Prime under the tree before Christmas, but people who were at the latter stage in ordering may have been a touch unlucky and will have to wait a little longer.

ASUS confirm shipping:

A spokesperson for ASUS has confirmed that the first release was on the way into U.S partner stores, and more will be available and shipped as and when possible over the next few weeks.

“ASUS started shipment of units to our partners last week and supply will escalate quickly over the next couple of weeks.”

Some orders cancelled:

There are stories of some retailers cancelling pre orders due to the high demand, so some lucky people will have got the first releases, but others will have to wait a while and perhaps order again.

BestBuy sell the ASUS Transformer Prime, but it appears that you can only order the exclusive Gray model currently, and this, we assume, may only last a limited amount of time until stocks run out again.

While others have been successful with their order of the ASUS prime from BestBuy, we can see now that it says “coming soon” so they must have run out of stock of the normal model.

Amazon taking orders:

Amazon are said to be:

“taking orders for the next shipment of the Transformer Prime but this batch won’t ship until four to seven weeks later, which will be well into 2012.”

We can currently see that various models are still available at a price on Amazon, with other pre-order models looking at some 4-6 weeks delivery wait.

ASUS Transformer Prime set to be record breaker:

Jonney Shih, ASUS CEO has said of the new model and tablet PC’s in general that they expect to sell upward of 3 million tablet PC’s in 2012 with a hope that they may sell 6 million if things go well and the prime proves to be such a hit. With the ASUS Prime having that unique offering of a keyboard and battery dock (optional extras), it is hoped that this model may appeal to an even wider set of people than a pure tablet.

And with the arrival of Windows 8 in 2012, Jonney Shih has said they are going to be releasing the Transformer prime with the new O/S.

Exciting times for ASUS, so what are your stories on getting hold of this cool looking new tablet PC?

At last many will be happy that the ASUS transformer prime tablet is finally on sale on BestBuy, and you can pick the item up for $499.

And owners who have already bought it are saying that the tablet is ultra responsive, perhaps a bit ugly, but great that it also includes an SD card slot.

Amazon taking orders:

The model for sale on BestBuy is a Gray 32GB tablet, and when I looked shipping was “coming soon”, the device will currently come with Honeycomb 3.2 as your operating system, but an Ice Cream Sandwich update is to follow soon.

In terms of accessories, a keyboard dock will not be included but you can always look to buy these other things later on.

What you will get with your order:

[arrowlist]

• Weighs only 1.3 lbs. and measures just 0.3″ thin: For lightweight portability. Sensors include G-sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, E-compass and GPS.
• Digital media card reader: Supports microSD cards and microSDHC formats for storing or transferring media.
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR: Easily link with other Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as a mobile phone or MP3 player.
• Preloaded apps: Includes Android Market, YouTube, Google Search and more.
• Built-in 802.11b/g/n wireless LAN: Connect to the Internet without wires.
• Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system: Along with an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, a 667MHz system bus and a 1MB L2 cache allows you to stay connected and productive on the go.
• 1GB LPDDR2 memory: For multitasking power.
• 10.1″ LED-backlit touch-screen display: With IPS technology and 1280 x 800 resolution showcases movies and games in stunning clarity. Gorilla glass screen provides durability.
• Built-in 1.2MP webcam: Makes it easy to video chat with family and friends. The rear-facing 8.0MP camera with autofocus allows you to capture and play back video.
• NVIDIA Tegra 3 graphics: For lush images. Micro HDMI output for connection to an HDTV.

[/arrowlist]

Please let us know what you think of the device if you have bought it already, or when you do.

In news from Italy, where many Nexus S owners are having problems with the Ice Cream Sandwich update after a seemingly early release of ICS which is full of bugs for many Nexus S owners.

The president of Google, Eric Schmidt, has stated in Corriere della Sera, an Italian newspaper, that Google will be entering the tablet market in 2012:

“marketing a tablet of the highest quality”

And this will arrive within six months from now, so seemingly a Summer release.

Who will build the new Google tablet?

Now we would like to know if Google are going to go this alone, or use Samsung or another manufacturer to build their device, that will likely compete with the iPad if it is going to be of “the highest quality”, as we admit that the cut price versions such as the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble Nook are not at the level that would warrant a term that extols the virtue of “the highest quality”, lovely as they are, they are not at the top of their game, hence the price tag.

So we have another question, will google aggressively compete with Apple’s iPad on price like Amazon have tried to do, or will they try to work together to differentiate their own products as more desirable and with a heftier price tag.

Google Nexus tablet?

And what will such a tablet be called? Rumours are that it will be a “Nexus” tablet, though one problem will remain for now, and that is the lack of quality Applications available on the larger screened Android tablets, and is the biggest bug bear for most people who have sampled Apples stunning eco-system of options when it comes to functionality for their tablets. And remember a tablet is only as good as what it can do, not how fast it can do it.

Kids turned off by Apple, confused by Android:

With a recent report coming out saying that “the kids” are bored with Apple but confused with Android, is it time for Google to rise up and say, hey, this is what Android stands for in the tablet space, yes we are a bit fragmented, but here is your real alternative to the iPad?

Would you get that message?

Have you ever wondered if the size of the device screen influenced how many people will click on an advert?

This infographic by inneractive nicely illustrates that the larger the screen the higher the CTR (click through rate).

Apple are under threat from cut price tablets from the likes of the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Barnes and Noble Nook, with the likelihood that this trend will only continue.

So what will Apple do to keep their premium iPad competitive when close equivalents can be obtained for more than half price?

A report in digitimes seem to suggest that they will fight back by offering a cut price, reduced size iPad, and the rumor is that it will be a 7.85 inch model.

With the size rumoured to be just that touch bigger then the Kindle Fire and Nook, Apple will possibly look to differentiate their own mini iPad from their competitors on desirability, design and that little bit extra screen real estate, and guys we all know how important that extra half inch is and so does a certain Mr Cruise.

Production of mini iPad to begin at the end of Q2 2012?

Apple are rumored to have been sourcing displays from LG, and panels from AU Optronics, with manufacturers looking likely to start the actual production of the new tablet at the end of the second quarter of 2012.

Would Steve Jobs turn in his grave?

We have already mentioned that Steve Jobs was famed for disliking the idea of a mini iPad tablet saying:

“10-inches is the minimum tablet size”

and,

“7-inch tablets are tweeners; too big to compete against a smartphone, and too small to compete with the iPad”.

So would the old Apple CEO be concerned that a part of the iPad’s appeal was going to potentially be missing? Perhaps, but Apple do need to keep their lead, and if that means tailoring a new iPad model to market demands, then this seems sensible.

With the release date of the iPad 3 expected to be sometime in early 2012, I thoroughly expect to see a new mini version of the iPad to follow suit some time in late 2012.

And with 60 million tablet PC’s being sold by the end of 2011, the market has certainly caught many by surprise in terms of the voracious appetite that people have for this new type of portable PC, so it is lucky for Apple that the 60 million figure is still currently made up of 70% iPad sales.

Will the iPod touch be reinvented?

I wonder if it would make more sense to reinvent the iPod touch to offer a bigger, more e-reader styled version, with the same functionality as what it already has but to include extras, with that additional screen size and a little more of an iPad feel.

Having said that, if I was to brand a new model and base it on a similar predecessor, I would opt to tell buyers that they were getting a small iPad rather than a larger iPod touch, wouldn’t you?

Yes the iPad is fantastic and in a class of its own in many ways, however it still feels a little lonely and lacking sometimes, so this is where Apple branded product accessories and third party suppliers come into play.

We take a good look at popular items sold on Amazon that also have high user feedback ratings to see exactly what people are buying, and also if there may be an item out there that you may not realise you needed!

This list is also a great start for inspiration related to gifts for the iPad 2 and iPad range.

So without further ado here we go:

Bear Motion Genuine Leather Case for iPad2 2nd Generation with built-in Stand:

This Bear motion product with Sleep mode, has been modified based on comments and user feedback, so as of version 2 the feedback seems to be nothing short of high praise (1000+ comments on Amazon saying how great it is).

The case is especially designed for the iPad 2, featuring “top grain” leather, which is the highest grade of leather from the hide, and when the cover is closed it will put your iPad to sleep, this is after you have turned sleep mode on as a function.

Customer feedback is seemingly paramount at Bear Motion, and they offer to resolve any issues you have with their products straight away, simply contact their customer support by email, for prompt service.

Features of the Bear Motion Genuine Leather Case in detail:

[arrowlist]

• New version – Supports Sleep Mode
• 100% real “Top Grain” Cowhide Leather
• Access all of the iPad 2’s features without taking off the case
• Easy to slip onto your iPad 2 for long lasting protection
• Interior and exterior has soft real leather and scratch protection
• Securely hold iPad in place with Unique Inner flap and Reinforcement Strip

[/arrowlist]

Yes, as a case and stand, and at the discount price that it can be obtained for now, you would be silly not to consider this product as your iPad 2 cover.

Kensington Apple iPad 2 KeyFolio Pro Performance Case with wireless Bluetooth keyboard:

So you are in the market for a keyboard and stand for your iPad 2?

This device is selling well on Amazon, and is essentially a high performance keyboard which is optimised for touch typing, and delivered via the built-in bluetooth technology offering fully wireless operation, so you are able to make that lovely looking iPad 2 into more of a laptop/desktop affair, and utilise the screen real estate of the iPad 2 much more than having a virtual keyboard take up that vital space.

This is a must have for anyone who does any more than a smattering of emailing on a daily basis, and I personally recommend it to anyone who wants to work a bit faster and also kill a few birds with one stone, as it works as a cover, stand and keyboard, what more could you want!

It is built well, and also offers access to the iPad cameras on the front and back, the tactile keys offer the same build quality that you come to expect from Apple products.

The keyboard that is built into the KeyFolio Pro includes some iPad 2 functional controls such as home button, volume, and brightness.

With a rotating stand offering landscape or portrait viewing, the flexibility that this product offers is fantastic.

[arrowlist]

• Bluetooth: V 2.0 standard
• Battery Life: 90 hours
• Standby Time: 45 days
• Battery Capacity: Minimum 430 mAh
• Battery Life Expectancy: 3 years
• Charging time: up to 4.5 hours

[/arrowlist]

With a 2 year warranty we think this keyboard and stand is well worth a look.

Apple Digital AV Adapter:

So you want bigger and better things for your iPad 2?

And why not, but it is not easy getting your HDTV to sing happily with your iPad 2 unless you have certain connections like this Adapter.

Simply put, this Apple digital adapter will mirror exactly what you have on screen on your iPad 2, meaning that you can control a photo slideshow, a video, or even watch a game being played with the benefit of that larger screened HDTV that is then connected via the device.

It also supports video out for iPad, iPhone 4 or iPod touch (4th gen) and is HDMI compatible.

Full specs:

[arrowlist]

• Product Type: A/V Cable Technical Information Cable Type:
• HDMI Fiber Optic Mode:
• 1 x 30-pin Male Proprietary Connector on Second End
• 1 x 19-pin HDMI (Type A) Male Digital Audio/Video Connector on Second End
• 1 x 30-pin Female Proprietary Conductor

[/arrowlist]

Yes, this device is a really nice accessory to have with your iPad and comes in handy for many things, now go use your imagination!

Trent iCruiser IMP1000 11000mAh External Battery Pack and Charger:

We all know that mobile devices eat battery life for breakfast, but there are ways around this and here is one great solution that we recommend in the form of an External Battery Pack and Charger iPad2 accessory.

Now in its 4th generation, the Trent iCruiser is now compatible with the iPad 2, and provides that extra bit of power that is often needed during a long day without access to a power supply. This device works as your power supply, offering a revolutionary high capacity of 11000mAh at 5V output voltage, this device will give you an extra 17 hours of iPad 2 movie time.

So is perfect on trips away, and as a great backup just in case.

The device will also pretty much power any of your devices from Nintendo’s to Droid’s, and PSP’s and Galaxy Smartphones, indeed this device is on my Xmas shopping list!

As this device is more than just an iPad 2 accessory here is a list of other features that may help you decide how useful this is:

Some features non iPad 2 related:

[arrowlist]

• Enjoy 50 hours movie time for iPhone 4S 4, 3G 3Gs iPhone and 4G ipod touch, 17 hours for ipad 2 Compatible with iPhone 4S 4 3Gs 3G, ipod touch 1G 2G 3G 4G 5G, blackberry (9630, 9700, 9550, 9800), HTC android EVO, incredible Nexus, Droid
• Ultra reliable Lithium-Ion battery with 11000mAh, 600% iPhone 4 Battery life incredible Nexus, Motorola Droid
• Compatible with ipad 2, iPhone 4S 4 3Gs 3G, ipod touch 1G 2G 3G 4G 5G, blackberry (9630, 9700, 9550, 9800), HTC android EVO, incredible Nexus, Droid
• Compatible with HTC Android EVO, Droid, Samsung Galaxy S, Nintendo DS, Sony PSP
• No iPhone/iPad adapter is included, but IMP1000 is compatible with original iPhone/ipad data cable. 6 months product warranty

[/arrowlist]

This really is an amazingly useful device and accessory and one that most smartphone and tablet owners could do with, shame, but this is the current state of play in the battery market.

Snugg iPad 2 Leather Case Cover and Flip Stand with Elastic Hand Strap and Premium Nubuck Fibre Interior:

Yes you may well have heard of the popular Snugg iPad range and now they have brought out the specially made iPad 2 flavour, this PU black leather case, offers you great protection and some extra functionality like an ability to stand the iPad to watch movies etc. Also included is an improved elastic strap for easy carrying

[arrowlist]

• Premium nubuck fibre interior + improved velcro flap to secure your iPad 2 tightly in place when in landscape position
• Camera hole cutout on the back and full access to all iPad 2 ports / connections
• Superior iPad 2 Case by Snugg
• Elastic strap makes it easier to hold and use the iPad 2 – Great for FaceTime
• Automatically wakes and puts the iPad 2 to sleep

[/arrowlist]

So there you go, a fantastic list resource of bits and pieces that can add value to your iPad or simply protect it a little.

Now get yourself over to Amazon and grab yourself a bargain!

Anthony Munns]]> https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/top-5-ipad-accessories-and-gifts/feed/ 4 https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/ipad-3-launch-date-update-video-advert-released/ https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/ipad-3-launch-date-update-video-advert-released/#comments Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:39:52 +0000 http://www.mobileinquirer.com/?p=1146 iPad 3 rumors of early 2012 release date:

Yes, the iPad 3 release date rumors are coming thick and fast, we have already given you an overview on some important areas that may help the release date of the iPad 3 to be in February. However these are all well and truly firmly entrenched in “rumouville” for now.

So when will the next generation iPad 3 be released?



Asking this question to a group of technology journalists will get you a mixed bag of replies, some will tell you as we did, that a February iPad 3 release is on the cards, others will go with the sands of time and state that the likely date for the unveiling of the product will be in Mid-march, with an imminent release, what ever the outcome, the likelihood is a pre mid 2012 date, that is to say it should be in stores before June/July 2012 if the past is anything to go by.

And let us face it, while Apple can shock us on many occasions the release date of the iPad 3 is something that they are less likely to play with for effect.

iPad 3 Commercial

Please now take a look at the new pre-release teaser here :)…ok, so this is a send up, but enjoy:

iPad 3 features?

Yes the device looks like it has no rim and is transparent! Maybe Apple have got themselves access to that amazing new technology called Graphene, read “What is Graphene” here to enlighten yourself. But, I digress, while that device looks sweet, I doubt that this will be the new iPad 3, in looks anyway, as this video is a pure concept video by a person? calling themselves Dakota Adney, using a little bit of After effects and such like I imagine.

A Better Camera?

Citi analyst Richard Gardner would argue that the new iPad may not look transparent and rimless but it could well have a new camera, talking of the release date he states that:

“There do not appear to be any significant technical hurdles remaining,”

With cameras on the iPad 2 being pretty average for anything other than facetime, the camera area is one that can be upped quite easily and would help them gain a bit more respect in this department.

“Both cameras on the iPad 2 are horrible, sure, they work for FaceTime and such, but the results are pitiful. While tablets are still unwieldy for taking pictures, most of the competition is fielding tablets with 3- and 5-megapixel cameras. I don’t imagine I’ll be using a tablet for most photo-taking needs, but having a decent one on board wouldn’t hurt.”

Wrote Eric Zeman at Information Week.

So will the design change?

While it is very possible a new racial design could see the light of day, I doubt very much that we will see anything more than a few tweaks here and there in this release, make it lighter, more powerful, and simply up the specifications all round. I see probably nothing more than an improved iPad 2 coming out on this round.

Smaller iPad release?

It seems unlikely that Apple will launch a smaller version in general, as this was something Steve Jobs was not keen on discussing prior to his death, however with the rise in popularity of the Amazon Kindle Fire there does potentially bring into light a new challenge that may need to be overcome, and may force Cupertino to release a cut-price version of the iPad, whether this will mean “smaller” in size remains to be seen.

Talk of new release has not hit iPad 2 sales:

Senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray, Gene Munster, seems to believe that Apple will sell some 13.5 million iPad this December, which will be a huge 80%+ increase over the same months in 2010.

Quite amazing really, as I just advised my girlfriend to just go out and get one after she asked me if I should wait, a great thing about Apple products is that their resale value is high, so if a new model does come out quick, you should only lose about $100 or £60 ish if you get your old model sold on Ebay etc!

We will keep you posted on further iPad 3 news as we get it.

Anthony Munns]]> https://www.mobileinquirer.com/2011/ipad-3-launch-date-update-video-advert-released/feed/ 9